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Republican Sen. Thom Tillis said Tuesday he would oppose the nomination of Ed Martin, President Trump’s pick to be the US attorney for the District of Columbia, with Tillis citing concerns about Martin’s handling of Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot cases.
Tillis (R-NC), who faces what is expected to be a tough re-election fight in next year’s midterms, predicted that Martin would not be confirmed by the Senate, where Republicans enjoy a 53-47 majority.
“He seems like a good man, most of my concerns related to January 6th,” Tillis told reporters Tuesday. “I’ve indicated to the White House I wouldn’t support his nomination.”
The North Carolina Republican met with Martin on Monday and was left unconvinced due to his past advocacy for supporters of the 45th and 47th president who stormed the Capitol building to disrupt the Electoral College vote count confirming Joe Biden’s victory over Trump in the 2020 election.
Tillis is one of 12 Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee, which also has 10 Democrats.
The committee has yet to schedule a vote on Martin’s nomination. The New Jersey native is facing a deadline of May 20 to be confirmed before judges on the capital’s federal district court select a new US attorney.
During his tenure as interim US attorney, Martin has referred to prosecutors as “President Trumps’ [sic] lawyers” and penalized government attorneys who did work on Capitol riot cases.
On Jan. 5, 2021, the eve of the riot, Martin delivered a speech at the Capitol imploring “die-hard true Americans” to “stop the steal.”
A former chair of the Missouri Republican Party, Martin previously praised Jan. 6 defendant Timothy Hale-Cusanelli as “a great friend” and “an extraordinary leader.”
Martin has since distanced himself from Hale-Cusanelli, who prosecutors described in court documents as an “avowed white supremacist” and Nazi sympathizer.
“We have to be very, very clear that what happened on January the 6th was wrong,” Tillis told reporters. “It was not prompted or created by other people to put those people in trouble. They made a stupid decision and they disgraced the United States by absolutely destroying the Capitol.
“I can’t have any patience for that.”
Tillis acknowledged that Martin “did a good job of explaining the one area that I think he’s probably right, that there were some people that were over-prosecuted.”
“If Mr. Martin were being put forth as a US attorney for any district except the district where January 6th happened,” he added, “I’d probably support him. But not in this district.”
On Jan. 20, Trump issued a sweeping pardon to more than 1,500 defendants who faced charges in connection with the Capitol riot.
Tillis’ opposition to Martin comes as Trump has pressured Republican lawmakers to rubber stamp his nomination.
“His approval is IMPERATIVE in terms of doing all that has to be done to SAVE LIVES and to, MAKE AMERICA HEALTHY AGAIN,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Monday.
“Ed Martin will be a big player in doing so and, I hope, that the Republican Senators will make a commitment to his approval, which is now before them.”
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